vintage spaces
Go over board! You can never have too much garland and ribbons and bows. Turn down the lights Use 40 watt bulbs in your lamps and add candles everywhere. The light will reflect the shiny bulbs on your tree and and it will put you in the mood for a warm cup of cocoa. Make r oom for inspiration If you haven’t used a Erica’s Holiday Decorating Tips
decoration in two seasons, you probably won’t use it again. Donate items that don’t inspire you to make room for new ones that do! Dress your f ixtures Hang ornaments, garland and ribbons from your chandeliers. Chandeliers look great on their own but will be over the top amaz- ing with extra accesories. Buy transformative items Find some old silver trays at an antique store for
around $20 each. Adorn them with ornaments, baubles and candles. When the season is over, remove the Christmas deocrations and reuse the trays for everyday accessories! P lay with layers Lean a mirror against the wall and place a vase of Christmas flowers and a tray with a few varying height candles in front of the mirror. Instant decoration for Christmas or any time of year!
Erica’s favorite stores Bella Patina Charm Nell Hill’s Restoration Emporium
With the help of her handy husband Kerry, Erica repainted nearly every surface in the home, added bead board in appropriated areas, updated appliances, refinished the kitchen cabinets and installed fresh countertops. Once the initial facelift was complete, it was time to get serious about the furniture and accessories that would give the house its true wow factor. Though Erica was confident in her design sensibility, her signature style had yet to be developed. Thankfully, she had some- one to help her down the right design path. “A good friend took me to an antique store one day and I saw these one of a kind items at amazing bargains,” Erica says. “I loved that I could find a piece that may not have been perfect, but I could refinish it and make it my own. After that I started finding pieces on my own at stores or estate sales. I began adding them to the home one at a time. This house helped me find my style.” That style turned out to be a hip mish mash of modern flair and cottage shabby chic. The main walls of the two-story home are
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